Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece manga debuted in 1997 in Weekly Shonen Jump and is still one of the most popular series of all time. The vast world-building and the layers of mysteries are thoroughly explored through Monkey D. Luffy’s journey, making the story even more captivating. One Piece has a total of 11 Sagas, with the final one currently in its second arc. All the Sagas are divided into more than 30 Arcs spread across more than 1100 chapters, as the story progresses little by little, taking us one step closer to the truth. The series commences with the East Blue Saga, introducing Luffy and his first five crew members before they travel all the way to the Grand Line in the Alabasta Saga.
The journey of the Straw Hat Pirates may have entered the final phase, but there’s still a long way to go before the series concludes. Because every Saga features a unique journey, the discourse about which one is the best can never end, since each of them offers something unique. Although no One Piece Saga is technically bad, there is always something better than another.
11) Fish-Man Island Saga
Fish-Man Island is the first island the Straw Hats visit after reuniting, and they learn about the dark side of the beautiful world beneath the sea. The Saga not only introduces Joy Boy for the first time, but we also meet Princess Shirahoshi, who is later revealed to be the ancient weapon, Poseidon. Apart from the Void Century lore, the reason this Saga is special is because of how heavily it explores the themes of racism, the cycle of hatred, and systemic oppression.
While there are characters who wish to break the cycle of hatred, the dark side of Fish-Man Island doesn’t want peace at all. The only underwhelming part about this Saga is the main antagonist, Hody Jones, who has been working against his people for the sake of his petty ideals.
10) Whole Cake Island Saga
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the Whole Cake Island Saga is mostly dedicated to Sanji, which is why it will always be special to Sanji fans. Whether it’s his tragic past, his conviction to protect his crew from Big Mom, or his fight with Luffy, everything about this Saga is heartbreaking, and you can’t help but cheer for the Straw Hats’ cook. However, that’s not the only reason why this Saga is special; even Luffy got his moment to shine after clashing with a Yonko and fighting Katakuri, an exceptional user of Future Sight.
If there’s only one thing that’s slightly disappointing about this Saga, it’s that we only see half of the crew in action since Zoro and the others left for Wano. Additionally, despite having more than 100 chapters, it doesn’t feature many moments delving deeper into the Void Century.
9) Thriller Bark Saga
Thriller Bark is the shortest Saga in the series, and the most hilarious one too. After escaping from Enies Lobby, the Straw Hats land themselves in major trouble when they are stranded on a ship as big as an island. This Saga introduces Brook as the crew’s newest member, fulfilling Luffy’s wish to have a musician. However, the true highlight of the Saga was Zoro’s iconic “Nothing Happened” scene, where he put everything on the line to protect Luffy.
The Saga also introduces Ryuma, who gave Zoro his legendary sword Shisui, without ever knowing that the young pirate before him was his descendant. The Thriller Bark Saga also foreshadows the Wano Country Saga, having many connections to the isolated island, including the main antagonist, Gecko Moria’s origins.
8) Dressrosa saga
Donquixote Doflamingo is often labeled as the best One Piece villain, and the Dressrosa Saga finally proves why. Ever since his iconic speech in the Summit War Saga, Doflamingo became one of the most famous characters in the series. As a Warlord, he ruled over Dressrosa while pretending to be the country’s savior and hiding his tyranny from the world. The Saga also highlights the impressive alliance between Trafalgar Law and Luffy, who both plan to take down the Warlord before going to Wano.
The Saga features some of the best backstories in the show, including the one focusing on Law, which made him one of the most beloved characters of all time. Speaking of fan-favorite characters, we also can’t forget Admiral Fujitora, who, surprisingly enough, upholds the true values of the Navy. The Dressrosa Saga is the most action-driven, introducing more characters than we can remember, all for the creation of the Straw Hat Grand Fleet.
7) Suppose Saga
The Alabasta Saga introduces some of the most beloved One Piece characters of all time, including Tony Tony Chopper, Nico Robin, Nefertari Vivi, Portgas D. Ace, Bon Clay, and many more. It’s the second overall Saga in the series where the Straw Hat Pirates enter the Grand Line and have already gotten mixed up in a grand scheme by Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
While the arc focuses mostly on fights, it also begins to tap into the lore by introducing the Poneglyphs, which carry many secrets. Additionally, the Nefertari family is directly tied to the establishment of the World Government, making them one of Luffy’s most important allies.
6) Sky Island Saga
Even several years after it aired, this Saga is still underrated among fans. The Straw Hats travel all the way to the sky, proving that the legend of Nolan the Liar was, in fact, true. This is the first place the Straw Hats travel to after Alabasta, and the place deeply intrigues Robin after she realizes it’s a treasure trove of mysteries. The Sky Island Saga introduced one of the best villains in the series, Enel, who remains iconic to this day.
We also get major foreshadowing about Haki, the second power system in the series. However, most of all, this Saga also reveals that there’s life beyond the planet, and the ancient civilization revealed in Enel’s cover story remains one of the most intriguing parts of the show.
5) East Blue Saga
There probably couldn’t have been a better Saga to set up the premise of the story, as the show has kept us hooked since the beginning. The manga begins with a brief backstory of Luffy, introducing Shanks, and solidifying his dream of becoming the Pirate King. As the story moves on, the series continues introducing new characters, including new crew members, allies, and enemies.
We also see several character backstories, which have become one of the biggest strengths of the series. The Saga barely touches on the true lore of the show, but it still includes countless iconic moments, including Zoro vs. Mihawk, the walk to Arlong Park, Sanji vs. Gin, and many more.
4) Water 7 Saga
If the Whole Cake Island Saga was Sanji’s, then Water 7 was dedicated to the series’ best girl, and it happened long before Sanji got the attention he deserved. Robin was Crocodile’s right-hand woman, which made the crew skeptical of her from the beginning, except for Luffy, who immediately knew she was a good person. When the crew arrived at Water 7 to fix their Going Merry, they ran into a series of troubles, but the worst one was Robin’s disappearance.
Luckily, they learned about her before it was too late and went to save her from execution in Enies Lobby. The Straw Hats were more determined than ever after realizing that Robin was ready to sacrifice herself for their sake. In the end, Luffy didn’t hesitate to pick a fight with the World Government so he could bring her back with him.
3) Wano Country Saga
The Wano Country Saga only has one arc spread across 149 chapters, which earned it several criticisms for being too long. Despite the complaints, the arc delivers some of the best lore and fights in the series so far. Not to mention that the Gear 5 transformation alone is enough to place it in the third spot. It’s the culmination of Luffy’s journey so far, and it heavily represents some of the biggest themes in the show, making it more than just a power-up.
There’s no denying the fact that no other power-up could’ve suited Luffy more, especially since it’s directly related to Joy Boy and the Void Century. Wano was one insane ordeal for the Ninja-Pirate-Mink-Samurai Alliance that went there to defeat Kaido, one of the Four Emperors of the Sea. However, they never dreamed of Big Mom arriving at the place and joining hands with Kaido.
2) Summit was saga
The most tragic as well as thrilling One Piece Saga changed the story forever by marking the beginning of a new era. The World Government laid out a trap for the Whitebeard Pirates, and they had no choice but to willingly fall for it if they wanted to save Ace. However, it wasn’t just them, even Luffy desperately went to Marineford in hopes of saving his brother.
Up until the very end, the viewers had a small glimmer of hope that everything would turn out well. Unfortunately, the series’ creator, Eiichiro Oda, was determined to have Luffy go through this devastating event to push him to grow. The Saga includes countless iconic moments from beginning to end, including Shanks’ unexpected arrival that stopped the war.
1) Saga final
Although the Final Saga is currently ongoing, it’s not technically a hot take to place it on top of this list, especially after considering how much the series is focusing on the lore. The Egghead Arc reveals some of the most shocking moments in the series, while the Elbaf Arc also features another incredible backstory where we learn more about Rocks D. Xebec.
Now that the story is heading towards the Great War that was foreshadowed in the Summit War Saga, the series needs to tie up some loose ends before commencing this historical event.
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